As we celebrate the 50th Black Think Tank newsletter in the shadow of Thanksgiving, there are many things for which we are thankful. We appreciate the support of this incredible community of Black faculty that reads, engages, shares, and celebrates their work with us. We also thank the Office for Faculty Advancement for their continued support, as they have partnered with us on this initiative throughout the years. It takes a lot of work to compile, organize, and create the material for this publication, so finally, we offer a huge thanks to the students and staff who have contributed to the BTT newsletters over the last 4 years. We appreciate Allayne Thomas, Champion Olatunji, and Meg Atchison who, under the editorial supervision of Dr. Gustavo Silva, have worked tirelessly to deliver this content every month to you all. Thank you!
While I was being recruited to Duke, The Black Think Tank was one of the institution’s many draws. Knowing there was this kind of supportive space, that would connect me with other Black faculty on campus, share our wins, build community, and provide mentorship opportunities, made Duke even more appealing. Now that I’m here, I look forward to receiving every newsletter. Carefully crafted, celebratory, and informative, it’s exactly the kind of motivation I need to close out my month! -- Dr. Tracie Canada, Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology.
We understand that societal biases influence who has space in the media and under which light people are portrayed. The BTT newsletter arose out of the need to ensure that the broader Duke community was aware of the incredible contributions that Black faculty make to their fields. Every month, Black faculty lend their expertise to mainstream media, publish innovative research, and receive prestigious awards and recognition for their academic and intellectual impact. Through our newsletter, we are able to share the profiles of Black faculty, introduce scholars to the wider institution, beyond their department and schools, to strengthen our sense of community, and also highlight events, research, and training opportunities available on campus and in Durham.
Until this year, I've been "the only" Black person in my department. It's been important for me to not only learn more about what my colleagues in other departments/schools are doing, but also celebrate their many wins and remind myself to "keep going." This type of community-level communication is important now, more than ever -- Dr. Nicki Washington, Cue Family Professor of the Practice of Computer Science
Through our 50 newsletter issues, we have highlighted more than 100 faculty profiles in the Spotlight section, almost 500 accolades, which includes promotions, awards, new books, grants, and important publications, and over 300 pieces that Duke’s Black faculty contributed to the local and national media.
Below are the top 5 most-read news in the last 3 years:
5. The Divinity School’s Eric Lewis Williams has a vision
4. Black Think Tank: Fostering the Advancement of Black Faculty
3. Meet Dr. Thavolia Glymph: The New President of the American Historical Association
2. Meet Dr. Sharieka Botex: Passionate About the Power of Writing
1. Dr. Douglas A. Jones Jr. delivered the prestigious Langford Lecture
This is just a small fraction of what this community has produced! The BTT is proud and happy to celebrate the Black community at Duke 365 days a year!
I always look forward to reading the Black Think Tank Newsletter. It's a fantastic resource that keeps me updated on the remarkable work and achievements of my colleagues, while also nurturing a sense of connection and community within our scholarly circle -- Dr. Tyson Brown, Professor of Sociology and 2021 Inaugural Presidential Fellow at Duke
The BTT newsletter has been instrumental as we support the advancement of Black faculty across the entire institution. Our website has been visited from over 99 countries, from every continent in the world, and every newsletter release drives new audiences to our website. The BTT is an innovative initiative that has supported our community through its consistent promotion of our teaching, research, mentoring, and community engagement. At this pivotal period, where anti-intellectualism and discord have taken root, we are committed to driving our goals forward in alignment with the mission of the university. We at the BTT take seriously Duke’s assertion that “Our shared values—respect, trust, inclusion, discovery and excellence—are more than aspirations. They are the beliefs and behaviors that we expect of ourselves and our colleagues.”
Having been at Duke for almost 25 years, I appreciate the The Black Think Tank and its newsletter because it provides a mechanism for all Black faculty across all of the schools to hear about what people are doing. We are all so siloed that those of us in Arts and Sciences rarely, if ever, interact with or even know our colleagues in Medicine or Nursing, and The Black Think Tank allows us to know who they are and what they are doing. It is absolutely terrific! -- Dr. Paula McClain, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Political Science
If you want to know more about what this community has produced and about the BTT in general, make sure to visit our website at https://blackthinktank.duke.edu/ and follow us on social media.
Here’s to 50 more BTT Newsletters!